I was horrified the other day to hear that a friend of mine had been ill for months and what was the cause of this illness ……… a tick!
It turned out that way back in the summer she had been out for a country walk and unbeknown to her she must have inadvertently picked up a tick. I am told they are often found close by to where deers graze and these were very prevalent in this area.
Some weeks later she started to feel really ill with unexplained weakness in her limbs and terrible fatigue. Eventually she was taken to hospital and was finally diagnosed after many tests with Lyme disease.
This is a bacterial infection which can be passed to humans by ticks as they suck on your blood. If left without treatment it can infect the heart, joints and nervous system.
Apparently they are really small sometimes just the size of a poppy seed and can be easily missed. When a tick is found and removed quickly there is a very low risk of infection. A bite will appear like a small lump with a scab on the skin at the site of the bite. Then usually a rash develops in the form of a ring and this indicates a sign of infection. Other signs could include headache, lethargy, joint pain and flu symptoms.
This can often last for weeks or even longer, sometimes they can even occur several years later. This is why early detection will help to calm the symptoms and shorten the illness.
The Health Protection Agency reported 768 cases of Lyme disease throughout the United Kingdom in 2006. This figure could increase as the tick population in this country is getting larger. The peak times for tick bites are the late spring, early summer and autumn.
It is really important to be made aware of the these signs and be vigilant especially where children are concerned when out on country walks. If however you are unfortunate enough to have a problem with ticks there are expert pest control companies who will able to give advice as to the best pest repeller for this problem.
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